Pokemon Quest: Kanto
by RoboQuote
Summary: A look at the Pokemon games with a more serious outlook. With this, I am attempting to provide an entertaining story and well fleshed out characters.
1. Chapter 1  A New Story Begins

**Pallet Town – A New Story Begins**

"Hello there! Welcome to the world of POKEMON! My name is Oak! People call me the POKEMON PROFFESOR! This world is inhabited by creatures called POKEMON! For some people, POKEMON are pets. Others use them for fights. Myself...I study POKEMON as a profession. First, what is your name?"

Red had been taken off guard by the excitement of the old man. He'd met Professor Oak before, but only briefly. For the first thirteen years of his life, Red held a very sheltered life. He grew up in a wealthy family, who inherited a profit from past generations of which created the Poke Ball. His current family hadn't done much to deserve their wealth, though a few of them went into research to build stronger, more effective Poke Balls. Red, however, wasn't interested in all that. Red was a strong-willed adventure starved teenager who was finally ready to explore the wonderful world of Pokemon.

"My name's Red! We've met before, so you probably just didn't recognize me.

"Right! So your name is RED!" Oak looked toward another boy and motioned for him to meet with the two of them. The boy casually walked over with a smug look on his face.

"So this is the prissy rich boy the entire town worships? Looks like a total pushover to me."

Red cast a glare in his direction but said nothing. He didn't want to risk creating a rivalry so soon on his adventure.

"This is my grandson. He's been your rival since you were a baby."

So much for that.

"...Erm, what is his name again?"

"What!" the boy yelled, "Grandpa, you aren't being serious are you! It's Blue!"

"That's right! I remember now! His name is BLUE!" Blue groaned and began to rub his forehead. Oak seemed pleased with the scene he'd created. He began to get even more excited, "RED! Your very own POKEMON legend is about to unfold! A world of dreams and adventures with POKEMON awaits you! Let's go!" he pointed towards a desk holding three Poke Balls. One had a water drop symbol on it, indicating the water starter, Squirtle. Another had a leaf symbol on it, indicating the grass starter, Bulbasaur. And finally, the last had a flame symbol on it, indicating the fire starter, Charmander, "Here, RED! There are 3 POKEMON here! Haha! They are inside the POKE BALLS. When I was young, I was a serious POKEMON trainer. In my old age, I have only 3 left, but you can have one! Choose!

"Hey! Gramps! What about me?" Blue yelled angrily.

"Be patient! BLUE, you can have one too! Now, RED, which POKEMON do you want?"

Red walked to the table, examining each carefully. He had thought about this over and over again. He could have Bulbasaur, who's grass and poison combination could make it a strong competitor in battle. Or he could go with Charmander, who would have intense fire attacks and ultimately evolve into the powerful Charizard. But in the end, he had to go with his favorite.

"I choose Squirtle!" He lifted up the Poke Ball housing the water Pokemon and released it. Out came a blue turtle with a squirrel tail. That's it! The overall look and charm of Squirtle was absolutely breathtaking. Unfathomably cute, yet somehow holding a sense of strength and dignity. That is why Red chose Squirtle. Most trainers would use strategy and choose which they thought would make them more powerful. But Red didn't care about strength. He wanted a companion he could enjoy the world with. That is why Squirtle was the perfect choice.

Blue laughed heartily. "Squirtle, eh? I guess it's an okay Pokemon."

"It's your turn BLUE." Oak stated, still seeming happy.

"I'll take this one, then!" he took hold of the Poke Ball containing Bulbasaur and released it. Out came a small reptilian creature with a large green plant bulb on its back. Blue smirked at Red, "Guess who's got the type advantage."

"Now you two calm down." Oak said, "If you boys want to see who the strongest is as of now, you should settle it with a battle! I'll be the ref!"

"Sounds great!" Blue said with excitement, "There's no way I'm gonna lose to a prissy rich boy."

"Ha! You should be thankful I'm even giving you my time!" Red retorted back.

The two were getting fired up with both anger and excitement. Red hadn't planned on battling much, so starting his adventure with a battle was a bit of a shock.

"Okay! Since you two only have one Pokemon each, the second it becomes unable to battle, a winner will be decided. Are you both ready?" The two nodded, "Well then…..BEGIN!"

"Bulbasaur, use Tackle!" Blue's Bulbasaur began charging towards Red's Squirtle at an astounding speed. Catching Red off guard, he forgot to command it to dodge, resulting in a powerful blow that knocked Squirtle to the ground.

"Wait, Squirtle! Get up!"Squirtle was easily able to recover, though it had become short of breath. Red thought hard. At this early in it's life, a Squirtle would only know Tackle and Tail Whip. He didn't want to risk a defensive strategy so early with so much inexperience, so he decided to make it a full melee battle, "Squirtle, come back with Tackle!" Squirtle began charging towards Bulbasaur head first.

"Oh no you don't! Bulbasaur, sidestep to the left!" Bulbasaur did just that, easily avoiding the attack, "Now use Tackle again!" Bulbasaur rammed into Squirtle, knocking it down to the ground again! Squirtle began coughing and shaking. It was having trouble regaining it's footing.

"No!" Red yelled.

"Alright Bulbasaur! Finish it off with a final Tackle!"

Bulbasaur quickly began it's third attack until Oak yelled, "Stop!" Bulbasaur stopped itself from dealing the finishing blow.

"What's the deal, Gramps!" Blue yelled.

"I think we've seen enough to determine the winner. Besides, Charmander's trainer has come."

Walking toward the group was a girl about the same age as both Red and Blue. In fact, Red had known her already. It was Leaf, a friend from his childhood whom he'd grown apart from over recent years. Seeing her again for the first time in a year or so felt weird, yet at the same time heartwarming.

"Leaf! It's been a while!" Red called out.

"Hey Red!" Leaf said back, "Looks like you had a battle. How'd you do?"

Red looked at his injured Squirtle who had since fallen asleep, "Uh…Not too well."

Leaf frowned, "That's a shame to hear."

"Yo Leaf!" Blue said brushing his hair to the side with his hand, "As you can see I just kicked this sorry loser's butt. Pretty impressive right?"

"Well, it's not nice to brag about it. I'm sure Red doesn't enjoy it." Leaf said sincerely.

"How about this? Since I just won the first battle, we can have a battle to determine who the strongest of us all is! My Bulbasaur's not even weakened from the last battle, so it's all fair game!"

"No thanks," Leaf said waving her hand as if swatting away a fly, "I have better things to do then put myself in some annoying rivalry triangle."

"Suit yourself." Blue said shrugging his shoulders.

"LEAF, you are here to receive your POKEMON, correct?" Oak said, getting excited again.

"That's right!"

"Unfortunately, the only POKEMON I have left is Charmander. Had you come earlier, you would've been able to choose two others."

"That's fine. I like Charmander. I just need one for protection so I can go see my father in Vermilion City." Leaf said, picking up the ball. She attached it to her belt and began to leave.

"Don't you want to introduce yourself to Charmander?" Oak asked.

"There's plenty of time for that later." Leaf looked at Red and Blue, "It was nice seeing you two again!" She smiled and turned toward the exit.

"Just one moment!" Oak yelled, "I have a proposition for the three of you!"

Leaf stopped and turned to face Oak.

"I need the three of you to work together. Think of it as an entrance exam to the world of POKEMON!"

"You expect me to work with that loser?" Blue said.

"Now, now, this does serve a vital importance to the journeys each of you will take. All I ask is that you work together for now, so that you will all have it easier later on." Oak replied.

"What is it you want us to do?" Leaf asked.

"I had a package sent to the Poke Mart in Viridian City. I recently received a phone call saying that it had finally been shipped in. I need you three to get it for me."

"You need us to be your delivery people?" Red asked.

"In short, yes." Oak said smiling, "Though you will thank me for this mission later."

"Well," Blue said walking toward Leaf, "We may as well get this over with. Come on, Red!"

"Best of luck to all of you!" Oak yelled back!

And thus began Red's journey across Kanto. He had already encountered a group of people to share his love of adventuring with, and he hadn't even left Pallet Town! With a newfound sense of duty, Red could finally embark on a quest throughout the Pokemon world!


	2. Chapter 2 The First Catch

**Route 1 – The First Catch**

It had happened. Red, Blue, and Leaf had finally left the town of which they'd grown fond of. Leaving your birthplace was fairly uncommon in Kanto, unless you were to have a job or family elsewhere. Becoming a trainer who travels for enjoyment was certainly rare. Kanto held many dangers that most were aware of such as wild Pokemon and strong trainers.

Red, however, was quite excited for his adventure to start, which made this small task he was given all the more bothersome.

"Ugh! How much longer 'till we get there?" Red groaned.

"We've only been walking for ten minutes. Viridian City is three miles away." Blue said annoyed.

Red sighed, but then put a smile on, "Man, I can't wait until this is over. I'll get to leave home and go to some place like Saffron City, or Cinnabar Island, or even take a trip to the Johto region!"

"Don't think so far ahead," Leaf said, "There are a lot of things you'll have to do before all that. Pokemon are a lot stronger on the eastern side of the region. You won't be able to get through so easily."

"Bah! I can take whatever this world throws at me!" Red exclaimed.

"You couldn't even beat me," Blue retorted, "and I hadn't even had battle experience."

Red scowled at Blue, "It was just luck. Chances are I'd destroy you in a rematch."

"Oh yeah?" Blue said putting his carrying bag down on the ground and gripping the Poke Ball at his waist, "How about it? A match right here, right now!"

Red also grabbed his own Poke Ball, "Fine by me!"

"Boys! Boys! Calm the hell down and stop being a pain!" Leaf interrupted, "You have plenty of time to fight when it's not on my own time!"

Blue smiled and picked his bag back up, "Well, I suppose it's for the best."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Red asked with an annoyed look on his face. Blue simply chuckled and continued walking down the path.

The three continued on their way towards Viridian City. There was an awkward silence between Red and Blue due to their anger towards one another, and Leaf was stuck in the middle. She was both tired of their bickering, yet annoyed that they remained silent when they weren't fighting. As they progressed, they had noticed a large amount of wild Pokemon, namely Pidgeys and Rattatas. One particular Pidgey flew down closely to the group. Blue stuck out his right arm, signaling Red and Leaf to stop.

"Hey," he whispered, "I bet I can catch this Pidgey."

"Do you even have a Poke Ball on you?" Red whispered back.

"No, but I assume you do ball boy," Blue said back giving another snide smile.

"Hmph," Red grunted and pulled a Poke Ball out of his bag, "Don't waste it," he said, giving Blue the ball.

"Heh, don't worry," He said, grabbing the ball. He took out his own Poke Ball and lunged toward the Pidgey, "Bulbasaur, go!" Out of the ball came Bulbasaur, who looked anxious to battle, "Okay Bulbasaur, use Growl!"

Bulbasaur growled at the Pidgey, which intimidated it. However, it stood its ground and used it's talons to dig into the ground and swiped dirt towards Bulbasaur.

"It's Sand Attack! Dodge it, Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur jolted to the right, avoiding the attack, "Now use Tackle!" Bulbasaur rushed in and collided with Pidgey, sending it flying backwards. It shook it's head and flew up in the air. It let out a cry and began rapidly flapping it's wings to create a strong wind. Bulbasaur was being pushed back while the gusts began to cut into its skin. The attack ended in seconds, though with Gust's super effectiveness on Bulbasaur, it was weakened more than Pidgey, "Dammit!"

"Give it up Blue," Red said mockingly.

"Not a chance! Bulbasaur, hit it with another Tackle!" Bulbasaur regained its footing and lunged into the air, aiming directly at Pidgey. It made contact and pushed Pidgey back down to the ground, causing a hefty amount of damage. It pushed itself off and hurried back to a safer area.

"Alright," Blue took the Poke Ball Red had given him and rushed into the vicinity. He let out a grunt as he huredl the Poke Ball and the weak Pidgey. It erupted into a bright red light that was soon contained in the Poke Ball. It began to struggle for freedom as the ball began wiggling around. However, after three spasms of wiggling, the ball flashed and became dormant.

"Haha! Yes!" Blue exclaimed. He rushed toward his newly caught Pokemon and grabbed the ball. He then pointed at Red, "Told you I could do it! Piece of cake!"

"Awfully excited, aren't you?" Leaf said smiling and folding her arms.

"Must be a weak Pokemon if you caught it," Red said, turning his face away from Blue so as not to show his discontent.

After some more celebration and gloating, the three finally got back to their mission. It wasn't much further to Viridian City, and it was already noon. Once the three finally reached Viridian City, they all let out sighs of relief.

"Welp, we're finally here," Red said.

Leaf began running towards the Poke Mart, which was in eyesight from the entrance of the town, "Come on guys! Let's finish this up and get back home!"


	3. Chapter 3 The Parcel

**Viridian City – The Parcel**

The three walked into the Poke Mart, discovering a wide variety of items. There was food, medicine, Poke Balls, and field items. Red decided to lead the group to the cashier.

"Excuse me," he asked, "We're from Pallet Town. Professor Oak asked us to pick a package up for him."

"Ah, yes. He told me about you three," the cashier answered. He went into a back room for a few seconds and came out holding a small cardboard box, "Careful now, that parcel is very expensive."

Red picked up the box and held it under his right arm, "Thanks!"

Red and Leaf left the shop, glad that this mission was halfway over. Blue, however, was a bit more anxious, "Oh come on guys!" Blue yelled. Red and Leaf turned to him.

"What's wrong, Blue?" Leaf asked.

"We spent all this time travelling to Viridian City, and you're telling me we're just gonna leave without doing anything?"

"That was the plan." Red said.

"Well I don't like it!" Blue said angrily, "Come on, there's supposed to be a gym here. I bet I can beat the guy!"

"Beating me and beating a gym leader are two completely different things," Red said, "Didn't you just lecture me on how I wasn't strong enough to travel?"

"There's also huge difference between me and you," Blue replied, "Like multiple Pokemon. And a winning record!"

"Shut up!" Red yelled.

"Both of you calm down!" Leaf interrupted, "We have plenty of time Blue. If you want to test your ability at a gym, we'll watch."

"Heh," Blue laughed, "You two better be ready for some amazing stuff!"

The three walked through the city, searching for the gym. Compared to Pallet Town, Viridian City was fairly large and crowded. It was a very prestigious city, famous for its award winning school, Viridian Academy, which held classes for ages seven to twenty-one. It was owned by the wealthy Viridian family, who were one of the richest, most powerful families in the world. Even more so than the Valant's, Red's family.

It was because of this sudden change in atmosphere that Red, Blue, and Leaf had ultimately become lost trying to find their way around.

"Ugh, we shouldn't have done this." Leaf said. It was approaching sunset, and they had made no progress in terms of finding the gym.

"Hey, you were the one who said we had plenty of time." Blue said back, still seeming as energetic as ever.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't account for the fact that you have no sense of direction!" Leaf yelled angrily.

"I'm so hungry." Red moaned.

"Shut up, Red!" Leaf yelled. Red jolted back in shock at Leaf's sudden hostility.

"Don't worry, we'll be done soon," Blue said, "I don't need to battle on this trip, but I still wanna know where it is."

"That doesn't ease my mind, Blue." Leaf said, holding back more anger.

It wasn't long until the three spotted a dome-shaped building with a large Poke Ball symbol on it. This shape and symbol indicated a gym.

"There it is!" Blue yelled. He ran towards the building, leaving Red and Leaf behind. He ran up the steps quickly, stumbling a few times until he finally reached the doorway. On the door was a sign, which Blue read once…twice…three times. It finally registered. "Away for Business, Closed for an Unknown Amount of Time", "No, no NO!" Blue yelled, sinking to his knees.

Red and Leaf were finally able to catch up with the dejected Blue, "What's wrong?" Leaf asked.

Red looked at the sign himself and read it, "Away for business? What kind of business can a gym leader have that keeps him away for an uncertain amount of time?"

"This is terrible!" Blue yelled, "How am I supposed to show everyone how much better I am than them if I don't even get a chance!"

"…Seriously?" Red asked.

Blue got back up and rubbed his forehead while sighing, "Well, what can you do?" he said beginning to walk away, "Pewter City's the next closest gym. I'll just have to remember not to stop here next time."

"Well thankfully this little detour is over." Leaf said.

"Yeah, I just want to get something to eat." Red stated.

The three found their way out of the city more easily than they did exploring it. By the time they had passed through Route 1, the sun had set and darkness had set in. Had they spent much longer in Viridian City, they would have had to set up camp without any proper equipment. They made a beeline to Professor Oak's lab. When they got there, Oak appeared to have been getting ready for bed.

"Hey gramps!" Blue shouted, "A little early for bed, don't you think?"

Oak looked toward the three and became excited yet again, "Marvelous! I didn't expect you to take this long though!"

"We took a pointless detour thanks to you grandson." Red said, handing the parcel to Oak.

Oak quickly ran to a nearby table and unwrapped the parcel. It contained three small, rectangular devices that looked similar to a pocket booklet. He brought the devices and gave one to each of the three. Red observed the device at all angles, and even opened it up.

"These are Pokedexes!" Oak said, "They record data on all the Pokemon you meet on your quest!"

"These are ours?" Leaf asked.

"Yes," Oak said, "I'm too old to go on adventures these days. I was never able to complete my research. That's why I'm giving the three of you the opportunity to help me rcord data on all the Pokemon in Kanto!"

Red thought about this new gift. It would certainly give him greater incentive to travel across the world. And it certainly didn't seem too out of the way, as well as giving him a goal to pursue, "Alright Professor Oak! You can count on me to fill this up in no time!"

"Me too!" Blue said back.

"Me three!" Leaf interjected.

"Perfect!" Oak exclaimed, "I'll leave you three to decide your own paths from this moment on. Remember, you are all old enough to make your own decisions now. Don't do anything stupid!"

"Yes Professor." The three said together.

As they left, Red decided to ask the other two what their plans were, "So, when are you guys going to start your adventures?"

"Me?" Blue asked, "I'm leaving first thing in the morning! I need to get some sleep so I can get out as early as possible. Smell ya later!" He left waving his hand while his back was turned, almost as if not acknowledging they were actually there.

"Huh," Red said, "Well what about you Leaf?"

Leaf looked down at the ground, "Actually, I was thinking about that."

"What's the matter?" Red asked.

"Well," she started, "I'm really worried that I might not be able to get very far on my own."

"I'm sure you'll be fine." Red said.

"I don't know," Leaf said, "I'd feel a lot more comfortable if I had someone to travel with at least at the beginning. So do you care if I go with you for now?" she asked, finally looking up.

"Huh?" Red questioned, "I mean, of course you can. If you really want to."

Leaf smiled, "Thanks! I'm glad I can count on you!"

"Well, good night!" Red said, "Meet me at the town exit tomorrow morning!"

"Okay then! Good night!"

The two departed towards their own homes, anxiously anticipating the next day. Their true adventure was just a day away.


	4. Chapter 4 Home Sweet Home

**Pallet Town – Home Sweet Home**

Red walked up to a large black gate with the letter "V" decorating the center. He rung a doorbell on a nearby column.

"Who is it?" A deep, booming voice bellowed from the built-in speaker.

"It's me, Joe." Red said into the speaker.

"I don't know who you are, Me." The voice replied.

Red sighed, "It's Red!"

"Oh, hey Red," the voice said again, "You came back a little later than your mother expected. She's really worried."

"Sorry Joe." Red said, leaning his head against the column.

"Why are you apologizing to me? I don't really care. You should save your apology for your mother."

"Just open the door please."

"Roger."

The gate split in half and slid horizontally behind the columns revealing a fairly large walkway to a large white mansion perched high upon a hill. Red walked up towards the mansion, which took around five minutes. He finally reached the large 20-feet tall, 16-feet wide doorway, which had another gold 'V' in the center. He rang the doorbell on the side and the doors parted into the house, revealing a large, fanciful entrance hall.

The floor was wood laminate with a large velvet rug in the center. Two large stairwells could be seen to both the left and right, leading to an upper balcony. The ceiling held a crystal chandelier that brightened the entire room.

"Mom! I'm home!" Red yelled. He walked up the left stairwell and into a hallway. He opened the door to his room and entered. Red kicked off his shoes and flopped down on his king-size bed. He stared at the digital clock on a small table next to his bed. It was just now approaching 8:00 P.M. Red rolled over to face the ceiling. He stared at the rectangular patterns that had been etched into it, "I can't believe I'm finally leaving," he muttered to himself.

Just then he heard three knocks on his door, "Coming!" he yelled. He jumped up from his bed and answered the door. Standing there was a large, muscular man. He wore a tight black t-shirt and blue jeans. He had long black hair tied into a ponytail and had a big, bushy mustache, "Joe?"

The man grabbed Red by the neck and put him in a chokehold, "Hey! Stop!" Red yelled. Ignoring this, the man pulled Red down the hallway and down the stairs. He brought Red into the dining room where a beautiful woman who looked no older than thirty sat at a table, "Mom! Tell Joe to let me go!"

"Joe," the lady said. Joe nodded and released Red from the hold. Red jolted away from Joe, rubbing his neck, "You're late Red," the woman said, "You're dinner's gone cold."

"It's okay Mom, I'm not hungry," Red said. This was, of course, a lie as Red had not had anything to eat since his breakfast in the morning.

"You could have told me you were going to take so long."

"Sorry Mom. But it wasn't really supposed to take anywhere near as long as it actually did," Red replied. His mom brought a cup of tea to her mouth and took a sip. Red sat down in a chair next to hers, "But you won't have to worry about me much anymore. As of tomorrow morning, I'll be on my own adventure!" Red smiled.

His mom began to tear up and she suddenly burst into sobs. Red stopped smiling, "Huh? What's wr-"

His question was stopped when his mom suddenly embraced him, "Oh Red! I can't let you leave me here alone!" she cried.

Red groaned, "Mom, you knew this was gonna happen. I've been planning this date for months. Besides, you've got Joe to keep you company!"

Red's mom pushed him away and wiped away her tears, "Well see," she sniffed, "That's what I want to talk about."

"What do you mean?" Red asked.

"Well," she sniffed and crossed her arms, "I will not permit you to go on this journey alone. So I'm sending Joe with you."

"What!" Red yelled. He glanced toward Joe who was glaring at him.

"Got a problem, Red?" Joe asked.

"But mom…..Joe hates me!" Red yelled.

"I don't care, Red," his mom said sternly, "This is a very dangerous thing you're doing, and Joe is strong enough to protect you."

"Mom!' Red yelled, breaking out into a nervous laughter, "I-I don't need Joe! I-I'm already going to go with Leaf!"

"Leaf?" she asked.

"You know! The girl who used to come over and play when I was younger!"

"A girl!" Red's mom yelled in shock. She stood up and put her hands at her hips, "Well you're certainly taking Joe then! Hell, be glad I'm letting you even go at all!"

Red sighed and tilted his head back, "Mom, it's not like that at all."

"Joe's going with you no matter what you say! Now get to bed! You've got a long day ahead of you tomorrow!" She stormed out of the kitchen.

After he was certain she was out of hearing vicinity, Joe piped in, "You know, if you really wanna do something with that girl, I'll leave you alone."

"Shut up Joe." Red said beginning to slouch.

The morning had finally come. Red had packed his bag full of necessities such as food, camping material, a couple changes of clothes, and medicine, as well as a few Poke Balls. He put on blue jeans, a plain black shirt, a red and white vest, a pair of red and white sneakers, and finally, an official Pokemon League cap. All this and his yellow backpack filled with the necessities for his journey meant he was finally ready. He looked into a mirror in his bedroom and smiled, "Alright!"

Once he had gone all the way down to the gate, his mom and Joe were anxiously waiting. Joe had his arms folded as if annoyed, while his mom held a tissue in her hand with tears in her eyes. His mom hugged him again, this time a much shorter one, "Do you have food?"

"Yes Mom."

"Clothes?"

"Medicine?"

"Mom, I have everything. I'll be fine."

His mom began to cry again, "Don't worry ma'am," Joe said, "You're son is in my hands."

She wiped were face and smiled, "Okay then! Good luck!"

Red smiled, "Bye Mom," he then gave her a hug himself, "I love you."

Red's mom smiled, "I love you too sweetie," Red the straightened his hat and began leaving towards the town gate, "Goodbye! Be safe!"

"I will! Bye!" Red yelled back.

Leaf was waiting for Red at the town gate. She wore a sleeveless blue shirt, a red skirt, red and white shoes with blue socks, and a white hat. Upon seeing the two, she looked somewhat surprised.

"Yo Leaf! You ready?" Red asked.

"Yep!" she said smiling, "But who's this?"

"This is Joe," Red said, "He's basically our butler, but he was in the military or something, so Mom made him come along as a bodyguard. You don't have to talk to him if you don't want to."

Joe stepped forward, "Joe Deayr" he said as he bowed, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Oh," Leaf said surprised, "I'm Leaf Lagrange. I'd prefer it if you didn't bow."

"Lagrange?" Joe stood up, "Hmmm…"

"What is it?" Leaf asked.

"Oh nothing," Joe said, "Just remembering someone from my past is all."

"Well if introductions are over, let's head out!" Red said.

The three departed Pallet Town, this time for good. Their next destination was Pewter City.


	5. Chapter 5 The New Member

**Route 1 – The New Member**

Red and Leaf walked into the same area they'd passed through twice before, this time having a different member by their side. It was early in the morning and Red had had trouble sleeping the previous night. Overall, he'd only received about five hours of sleep. Though he was excited earlier, his weariness had begun to show as he straggled many feet behind the other two.

"Hey Red, keep up," Joe said.

Red rubbed both of his eyes, "Sorry. I just had trouble getting to sleep last night."

"Want meto carry you?" Joe asked.

Red glared at Joe's back, "No Joe."

"Suit yourself."

The three continued in dead silence for at least thirty minutes with Red struggling to keep up. Leaf finally chimed in, "So Joe, Red said you were in the military?"

"That's right," Joe said, "Back when Kanto and Johto were fighting Unova."

"Oh really?" Leaf asked, "My father served in that war."

"Hm, small world isn't it."

Leaf laughed, "It's weird, really."

"Ugh!" Red groaned.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Leaf asked.

"This is boring as hell!" Red yelled.

"I'm….sorry?" Leaf said awkwardly.

"I want to do something other than walk and talk! Like a real adventure!" Red yelled.

"We've been travelling for less than an hour" Joe said, "Besides, you aren't old enough to have a license, so walking is the best method."

"Joe, you're at least forty, you should be able to drive!" Red said.

"I'm a butler, not a chauffeur," Joe said back, "Besides, I don't even know how to drive. And I'm only thirty-two!"

"Seriously Joe?" Red asked, "That's pathetic!"

"That's enough from the both of you!" Leaf demanded.

"Tsk, whatever," Joe said. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket a put one in his mouth.

"Wait a minute," Red said. He ran up to the two, jumping in between them, "Joe, you smoke?"

"Always have," he said lighting the cigarette, "Your mother disallows it in the house, so I usually take regular breaks outside. It feels great to be able to light up at any time now."

"So Joe," Leaf started, "Do you actually have any Pokemon?"

"Yeah," Joe said, "I have two with me right now," he grabbed two Poke Ball's he'd had hidden around his waist and released the Pokemon they contained. Out came a Machamp and a Poliwrath.

"Woah!" Leaf exclaimed, "Those are really high level Pokemon.

"Well I got them when I was a child. They were just babies then, but they've since evolved," Joe said, "The rest of my Pokemon are back in Sinnoh with my family."

"You came all the way from Sinnoh just to be a butler?" Leaf asked.

"I have my reasons," Joe said.

"Wait," Red piped in, "If you're from Sinnoh, why'd you serve in Kanto's army?"

"Again," Joe said smiling, "I have my reasons. Return you two!" Machamp and Poliwrath were summoned back into their Poke Balls.

"Are you always this vague?" Leaf asked.

"Hey, don't ask questions if you won't like the answer."

The group finally reached Viridian City as it was approaching noon.

"Ah, glorious civilization!" Red blurted out, "Let's go rest somewhere."

"I'm sure there's a restaurant here somewhere," Joe said, "We can take a rest there and get food."

Finding a restaurant wasn't that hard, as there was one at the entrance to the city called Goldeen's Cove. When they entered, they could see it was obviously a seafood restraint, based on not only it's name, but it's underwater theme. It was pretty crowded due to the time.

"Ahoy, landlubbers!" a man dressed as a pirate yelled, "I be Samuel, your waiter! Please take a seat anywhere!"

When they had sat down and ordered, they began to converse again, "So Joe," Red started, "Were you eager to travel with us or did you just feel obligated to?"

"Hmmm…" Joe thought, "I can't say I was particularly pleased that I had been sent on a long babysitting job, but I would never go against the Madame's request. After all, that's my job."

"I'm sorry you were forced into this," Leaf said.

"Well it is nice to have a change of scenery every once in awhile."

"You said you have family in Sinnoh," Leaf said, "And I know you said you had reasons for working in Kanto, but why did they stay?"

"Well," Joe said, "It's a bit complicated, but I suppose it's best to say me and my wife weren't exactly in the best of condition. I decided it'd be best if my daughter stayed in one place."

"Oh, I'm so sorry I brought it up," Leaf said.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I moved here a while ago. She probably doesn't even remember me," Joe said, "As for my wife, well, we never truly broke up, but I assume she's already gone her separate way."

Red was shocked. He'd never even once questioned Joe's personal life, so hearing all of this in such a short amount of time was truly shocking.

Once they had regained their strength, they decided to continue on their journey to Pewter City without distractions.

"So which way?" Red asked.

Leaf pulled out a map she held within her backpack, "It looks like the west route leads to Indigo Plateau and the north route leads to Viridian Forest. Viridian Forest looks to be connected to Pewter City, so I guess that's our next destination."

"Alright!" Red yelled, "Let's go!"

"Woah slow down there prissy boy!" a voice called out. The three turned around to see a familiar face with a bike at his side.

"Blue!" Red yelled, "Why are you here!"

"Hey calm down, you don't own the city. Though you're probably only a check away!"

"I thought you left a few hours earlier than us?" Leaf asked.

"I did," Blue said, "But I decided to take another detour and check out the Pokemon League!"

"Wait," Red said, "You went all the way to Indigo Plateau?"

"Sadly, no," Blue said, "They have the road closed off when the tournament's not being held. But I now have a new goal!"

"What's that?" Leaf asked.

"To win all eight badges in Kanto and become champion of the Pokemon League!"

"Good luck, buddy," Joe said.

Blue glared at Joe, "Who's this guy?" 

"Joe Deayr," he said bowing, "It's a pleasure. But more importantly, I feel I should tell you tht you have a very difficult dream."

"Why's that?" Blue asked.

"Because," Joe began, "Only the strongest trainers in the region will enter the Pokemon League. People who have trained for years. A child such as yourself won't be able to compete. It's just pure fact."

"Just because I'm a child doesn't mean I'm weaker than everyone," Blue said.

"No, but it does mean you lack experience," Joe said, if you don't believe me, go face the gym leader in Pewter City. If you have trouble with him, keep in mind that he's nowhere near the strongest trainer you'll find."

"Whatever old man, I don't need you to tell me what to do. Smell ya later!" he hopped on his bike and headed off towards Pewter City.

"Damn, I should've brought a bike!" Red said, coming to an epiphany.

"Too late now," Joe said, "We're not going back."

The three followed the path that Blue had taken to Viridian Forest, getting one step closer to Pewter City.


	6. Chapter 6 The Mysterious Man

**Viridian Forest – The Mysterious Man**

The three entered Viridian Forest, a dense, dark, labyrinthine woodland filled with bug type Pokemon.

"Okay," Red said tightening his cap, "I'm gonna catch a Pokemon here!"

"Fantastic," Joe said sarcastically.

"This forest is famous for it's mazelike structure. Travelers tend to get lost inside for days," Leaf said.

"No need to worry," Red stated smiling, "I have an excellent sense of direction."

They proceeded into the forest as Red took the lead. Within an hour they had lost their position.

"Well this isn't good," Red said.

"What happened to that excellent sense of direction?" Leaf asked.

"I'm just having an off day," Red replied.

"Relax," Joe said, "This is a big place. We probably aren't lost," he scanned the area, "Look! There's someone!"

Red and Leaf looked in the direction that Joe was pointing. There was, indeed, a person standing in the distance, "Hey!" Red yelled out. The person turned to look at them. The three ran toward the person. When he was finally up close, they realized it was a kid wearing a large sunhat.

"What's the matter?" the kid asked once they had gotten up to him.

"Sorry," Leaf said, "But we're trying to get to Pewter City. Could you point us in the right direction?"

"Really?" The kid asked, "That's where I live!"

"That's great!" Leaf said excited.

"If you want I could take you there. I'm done with what I came here for."

"Alright! Let's go!" Leaf said.

"On one condition," The kid said, "You have to beat me in a Pokemon battle."

"Um, me?" Leaf asked.

"Well, you were the one who asked," The kid said, "If you can't find your way through the forest then at least show you're capable of something."

"Y-You little brat!" Red yelled.

"Calm down Red," Leaf said, "Okay, I accept your challenge."

"Great!" he yelled, pulling a Poke Ball from his waist, "Go Weedle!"

He released a Weedle onto the field.

"Go Charmander!"

Leaf sent Charmander out,

"A fire-type, huh? That gives you a huge advantage."

"This is actually my first battle," Leaf said back.

"Interesting," the kid said, "Use Poison Sting!"

Weedle charged towards Charmander with the spike on it's head pointed directly at Charmander's core.

"Dodge and use Scratch, Charmander!" Charmander avoided the attack and swiped down, scratching Weedle.

"Weedle use String Shot!" Weedle turned around and shot a stream of silky web at Charmander. It entangled Charmander, making it harder to move, "Use Poison Sting again!" Weedle charged and made impact with it's spike. Charmander was knocked back from the injury. When it tried to get up, it staggered a bit due to the poison that had entered it's body.

"Charmander! Stay strong and use Scratch again!" Charmander ran towards Weedle and attacked for massive damage, knocking Weedle out.

"Hmph!" the kid grunted, "You may have won that one, but your Charmander is weak from the poison. This'll be over in no time," He grabbed another Poke Ball, "Go Caterpie!"

He now brought a Caterpie into the battle which immediately charged towards Charmander.

"Look out!" Leaf yelled Charmander mustered a little bit of strength and hopped out of the way.

"Leaf!" Red yelled, "Use Ember!"

"Does it know that attack yet?" Leaf asked.

"Won't hurt to try!" Red yelled back.

"Alright Charmander!" Leaf prepared herself, "Use Ember!"

Charmander opened it's mouth and shot a small burst of fire at Caterpie. The attack connected for a super effective hit, knocking Caterpie out in one shot.

"Unbelievable!" the kid yelled, withdrawing Caterpie, "I guess you're pretty good after all."

"You remember our deal, right?" Leaf asked.

"Yeah, yeah," The kid said, "I'm Rick by the way."

Rick led the group through miles of similar green. It was amazing how he could actually figure out where to go.

"I come into this forest all the time. It's basically a second home to me," Rick said.

"Are there any good Pokemon to catch?" Red asked.

"Well, I mostly just care about Bug-types," Rick said, "This place is filled with them, though if you're lucky you'll see a Pikachu. But good luck with that!"

Just as he said that, a small Pikachu had run out from the bushes and onto the trail. It stared at the group which had stopped in it's tracks.

Red stepped in front of Rick, "Alright! I'm gonna catch this!" He sent out Squirtle, "Use Tackle!"

Squirtle rammed into the unsuspecting Pikachu knocking it onto it's back. It quickly jumped up onto all fours and used Thundershock to send a bolt of lightning through Squirtle. This caused massive damage, forcing Squirtle to kneel on the ground.

"Dammit!" Red yelled, "Use Bubble!"

Squirtle sent out a barrage of bubbles which smacked Pikachu's entire body, knocking it back again. Red took out a Poke Ball and threw it at the weakened Pikachu. In what seemed like minutes, the ball continued to wiggle around until finally coming to a halt.

"Hell yeah!" Red yelled picking up his newly caught Pokemon.

"Congrats on your first catch!" Joe said.

"The first of many more to come!" Red stated.

After the initial excitement settled down, they began to travel again, "We don't have much further to go," Rick said.

After about one more mile, they could see the gatehouse that connected the forest to the other side of Route 2.

"Finally!" Red exclaimed. But as they walked closer they saw the silhouette of a man. As they got closer, they could slowly make out more of the man, who seemed to have a distorted appearance. The figure continued to stay motionless while standing up. When they had gotten close enough they saw that his skin was infested by an assortment of small bugs.

"Oh my God!" Leaf yelled.

"Hey!" Joe yelled too, "Are you okay!"

The man was heavily clothed in black robes, with only his face actually showing. His kin was wrinkled and tan. It seemed to be void of any moisture. The true scary part were his eyes, which were surrounded by dark circles and were completely white. The man continued to remain in the position he was, staring at the group. Finally, he opened his mouth, "Hello," Out came a deep, fearsome voice.

"Who are you?" Joe asked, "And why are you covered in bugs?"

"They are my friends," the man said. He turned his head slightly to face directly at Red, "You are considered a threat, Mr. Valant, so I have come to eliminate you."

"W-W-What!" Red asked.

The man took off his robe, revealing an assortment of blades he'd had hidden. He pulled out a dagger which had been sheathed on his left arm and charged toward Red. Red fell back on the ground in shock as the man readied his attack. Joe put himself between the two and pushed the man back. The man then focused his attacks on Joe, but to no avail. Joe kept dodging the swings and began to throw punches until he'd finally won out. The man quickly jumped backwards to distance himself from Joe.

"I know who you are," Joe said, "You're one of those freaks from Team Rocket!"

"Precisely," The man said.

"What do you want from Red!" Joe yelled.

"I was informed by the boss that he was a threat," the man said, "He must be destroyed."

"I won't let you do that," Joe said, "Go Machamp!"

Machamp came from the Poke Ball and glared at the man, pounding it's fists.

"You think I don't have Pokemon? Go Parasect!"

The man released a Parasect. The two Pokemon squared off with each other, not moving an inch. Finally, Joe yelled out a command, "Machamp, use Karate Chop!"

Machamp rushed in and forced all four of it' arms down on Parasect. It had came at such an incredible speed that the man had no time to react, "Now use Mega Punch!" Machamp proceeded to unleash a powerful punch, pushing Parasect back.

"Stun Spore!" The man yelled. Parasect shot out a cloud of fumes which covered the whole area, catching Machamp in the process. Machamp began to struggle with moving, as it had been paralyzed, "Now use Slash!"

Parasect furiously cut Machamp. Machamp began stepping back.

"Machamp, use Seismic Toss!" Machamp put all it's effort into grabbing hold of Parasect. It began to swing it around and jump into the air, pushing down on Parasect to slam it into the ground. The Parasect fainted.

The man withdrew his Parasect and sent out another Pokemon, this time a Beedrill. Joe withdrew his weakened Machamp and sent out Poliwrath.

"Twineedle!" The man yelled. Beedrill flew into Poliwrath, quickly thrusting it's drills at it, but Poliwrath quickly evaded each attack.

"Use Water Gun!" Joe yelled. Poliwrath shot a burst of water at the attacking Beedrill, sending it back a few feet, "Now use Body Slam!" Poliwrath jumped in the air and slammed into Beedrill. Once it got back up, Beedrill was severely weakened. Beedrill slowly raised itself back into the air, "Finish it off with Dynamic Punch!" Joe yelled. Poliwrath clenched it's fist and launched it's arm at Beedrill. The attack threw Beedrill back and knocked it out. The man was forced to admit defeat.

"Clearly I need to grow stronger," the man said, "We shall meet again," bugs began to crawl out from underneath the ground. They quickly covered his entire body until no part of him was visible. They then all fell back down and buried themselves again.

Joe turned around, "Are you three okay?"

"Y-Yeah," Leaf said, "I think so." 

"What the hell was that thing!" Red yelled, "Why did he try to kill me!"

"Red, calm down!" Joe yelled, "You're safe now, and so long as I'm here, I promise that you won't be hurt!"

After they had regained their composures, the group left the forest.


	7. Chapter 7 Leaf Catches a Pokemon & SS1

**Route 2 – Leaf Catches a Pokemon + Side Story #1**

As they exited Viridian Forest, the group was completely silent. After Red's near death experience, he had changed from his excited self to a more depressed and vigilant state. Leaf had become scared herself as well, fearing what may come. Joe, however, kept his cool, nearly emotionless state present as he continued to keep an eye on Red.

Finally, Red broke the silence, "Joe?"

"What is it?" Joe asked.

"Who was that?" Red asked, "And what does he…or whoever he works for want from me?"

"Well," Joe started, "I can't answer your second question, since I honestly have no idea. As for the former, well, I think it's best to wait until we get to a more comfortable place. Pewter City's fairly close to here."

"Joe," Red said again, "I'm not gonna die am I?"

Joe looked at Red whose head was lowered down, "Of course not," he said, "There's no way I'd let that happen."

A few minutes passed until they finally ran into a Pokemon. It was a female Nidoran that looked pretty excited, almost as if it were anticipating a battle. It had even taken a fighting stance.

"Alright then!" Leaf shouted, trying to cheer herself up, "It's my turn to shine!"

She pulled a Poke Ball from out of her bag and sent out Charmander. Nidoran charged straight towards Charmander, forcing it's horn to penetrate the skin. Charmander stepped out of the way, only suffering from a graze, "Alright Charmander, use Ember!" Charmander shot a small amount of fire from it's mouth, directly hitting Nidoran, "Now use Scratch!" Charmander launched itself towards the still recovering Nidoran and swept it's claws across it. The Nidoran was knocked back once again. Leaf pulled out another Poke Ball and threw it at Nidoran. Within seconds the ball stopped wiggling, and Nidoran was caught.

Leaf picked the ball up, "Look, we all have two Pokemon now!"

Red smiled, "Yeah," he finally brought his head back up, "Let's get going!"

**Side Story #1 – Unknown Hideout**

The man walked through the underground facility, which was littered with guards. Each person wore a black uniform with a red 'R' printed on the front. The man looked fairly out of place even had he not been a very ominous-looking person. He walked up to two guards who were standing in front of large iron doors, "Let me through!" he yelled.

"Sir!" the guards yelled as they stepped to the side. The man entered the room where another man sat in a large throne. He was dressed in a black suit with an 'R' embroidered over his chest.

"Mwahahaha! Welcome to my domain!" the suited man yelled, jolting from his throne with a malicious smile across his face.

"Boss!" the man yelled, kneeling to the ground.

"Oh, Wasp, it's just you." The man said, growing disappointed.

"Boss, I regret to inform you that I've failed the mission," Wasp said keeping his head down.

"Ah, no matter," the man said, "I didn't really expect you to succeed under the circumstances. I'd rather you tell me about the man who he's traveling with."

"You knew about him?" Wasp asked.

"I know more things than you could ever imagine, Wasp," the man said, "How do you think I knew they were in Viridian Forest to begin with?"

"Um," Wasp thought, "Intuition?"

"Hahaha!" the man laughed, "Close! But that's not important at the moment. Tell me more about this character!"

"He was a strong man both physically and as a trainer. I was outmatched from the very start," Wasp said, "He appears to have an affinity for Fighting types. He used a Machamp and a Poliwrath."

The man waited for more until he finally said, "Is that it?"

"Yes," Wasp replied, "I wasn't able to catch his name or any other personal information. He may have been a bodyguard of some sort."

"Of some sort!" the man yelled, "You mean you couldn't even figure out his position in the group! GAH! You're hopeless!" He lifted his arm to his mouth, where he had a watch-like device around his wrist, "COPELAND!"

The doors opened from behind them instantly. In walked a large, bulky man. He had brown skin, crew cut black hair, and a short beard. He wore a silver jacket with the sleeves torn off and no undershirt to show his muscles, as well as ripped blue jeans.

"Giovanni, sir!" he yelled while saluting.

"Ah, Teddy Copeland. My NEW favorite minor henchman!" Giovanni yelled.

Teddy raised his right eyebrow, "Minor…sir?" He lifted his arms in a flexing position, "Are you callin' these minor? Eh?"

"Shut up!" Giovanni yelled, "I have a new mission for you!"

"Anything for you, sir," Teddy said bowing.

"I need you to go to Cerulean City," Giovanni said, "From what I understand, a group of three individuals will be travelling through there at some point. You have plenty of time to make it before they do. It's a man, a boy, and a girl. The man is almost as large as you are, so you should notice them right away."

"Cerulean City?" Teddy asked, "But that's a long ways away!"

"Do you dare defy me new favorite minor henchman!" Giovanni yelled.

"But I don't have extremely convenient teleportation abilities like Wasp and Eddy! Why not get one of them?"

"Because WASP decided to be a useless imbecile! And I have no idea where Eddy is."

"Alright, alright. I'll go," Teddy said, "But if they'll be in Cerulean City, won't they run into Nathan's team in Cerulean Cave?"

"Probably," Giovanni said, "But Nathan's on an important mission. I don't want to distract him with something else."

"Alright then," Teddy said turning around, "I'm on my way." 

"Go ahead and take a few lackeys with you," Giovanni said, "Try to set up a strategy to take them down."

"On it," Teddy left the room.

Giovanni looked at Wasp, who was still kneeling on the ground, "As for you," he said maliciously. He pulled a katana from the side of his throne and walked towards Wasp, "Left or right?"

"Boss, I'm sorry I angered you, I-"

"LEFT! OR! RIGHT!" Giovanni yelled again.

Wasp began to sweat, which looked even more noticeable on his dry skin. He began to breath heavily.

"An answer?" Giovanni asked.

Wasp put out his left hand and laid it flat on the ground, "Left."

"Good decision," Giovanni said smiling. He raised the katana over his head and swung down viciously. It cut straight through Wasp's wrist. Wasp began to scream cries of pain as blood spurted from his amputated wrist. Giovanni put the wrist device up to his mouth again, "Get a doctor in here." 

"Right away, sir," a voice stated.

Giovanni used the blade's tip to lift Wasp's head, "Next time, it'll be your life I take away."


	8. Chapter 8 Team Rocket

**Pewter City – Team Rocket**

The three walked past the gates of Pewter City, another fairly large city, even bigger than Viridian City.

"Well," Rick said, "I guess you all don't need my help anymore!"

"Huh?" Joe asked, "Oh yeah, I forgot you were here."

"Well, uh," Rick stammered, "I-It was nice meeting you!" he directed to Blue.

"Thanks for the help," Leaf said smiling.

Rick blushed, "Well, maybe I'll see you three again!" He ran off to the west, toward what they assumed was his home.

"Alright," Joe said, "I'm sure we're all tired and hungry. Let's go to a restaurant and grab a bite to eat." 

"Yeah, I'm starving," Leaf commented. Red simply nodded his head.

They entered a diner called Diglett's Hole. Once seated they ordered their meals. Joe got a medium-rare sirloin steak with a soda pop, Leaf got a grilled chicken sandwich with a lemonade, and Red politely declined a meal.

Once served his soda pop, Joe began to speak, "So I think I should explain to you kids how I knew what exactly just happened."

"Do tell," Red said, fidgeting ever so slightly.

"That man belonged to a group of Pokemon bandits called Team Rocket," Joe said.

"Team Rocket?" Leaf asked.

"They're a pretty small criminal organization. Haven't been around for more than a couple years. Not too many people are even aware of their existence,"

"Then how do you know about them?" Red asked.

"I have a friend who often works in espionage. Telling you that is already far too much information, so I'll leave it at that," Joe took a sip of his soda pop and began speaking again, "You see, the world isn't as pretty and perfect as your small town has made it out to be. Kanto's in pretty good shape, but places like Hoenn and Unova are in complete economical turmoil. About seven years ago, a group of Unovans decided to band together and create a terrorist organization called Flag."

"Flag?" Red asked.

"Yes," Joe restated, "Though the exact origin of the creators and members are, for the most part, unknown, what is known is that they would capture Pokemon and use them to attack various parts of Unova. Many innocent people died. There was no rhyme or reason as to where they would attack or why they would. The region soon became a fearful place to live. Many migrated from the region into different, safer parts of the world. And then out of nowhere the attacks stopped. A man appeared one day in the middle of Driftveil City, claiming that Flag had been destroyed and that Zyn was dead. Nobody knew this man, nor did they ever see him again after that day. Unova began rebuilding, but due to the massive amounts of damage, and their poor relationships with other regions, it grew into a problematic situation where everyone living there had lost their money to taxes. Nobody is going to try and help them out either."

"That's terrible!" Leaf said, "Why would Kanto let this go on? We're prospering so well!"

"Keep in mind, before the attacks, Unova had declared war on Johto, which is Kanto's biggest ally. We'd in no way try to help them. It's assumed that Flag was exclusive to Unovan citizens, though due to the supposed massiveness, there could have been some illegal residents confined in there."

Red slammed his hand on the table, "Not to break up your little history lesson, but how the hell is this related to Team Rocket!?"

Joe leaned back, "You see, about a year after the abandonment of Flag, rumors began to rise that they hadn't truly disbanded. They had simply split up into groups and scattered across the world to personally take over each region. Of course these rumors were tossed aside soon after once no suspicious activity was reported across the world for a while. Fast forward about three years and a new small-time group called Team Rocket springs up out of nowhere. And now they've threatened and attempted to assassinate a 13-year-old boy for seemingly no reason. Only knowing that his family is famous for their invention of the Poke Ball."

Red squinted at Joe, "What are you getting at?"

"Look," Joe said, "Let's not mince words. Clearly your mother thinks of me as part of the family. I know of the little project your uncle is working on in Saffron. I think somehow, someway, Team Rocket has found out about this and planned on using you. Not to kill you, but possibly to hold you ransom."

"Okay," Red said, "I'll let you knowing about classified family information slide, but right now, them holding me ransom would make no sense. Mom and I are so disconnected from my uncle that I doubt he'd show much interest in helping me. And besides, that guy said he would eliminate me! It seems pretty clear that I was a target for assassination! If they'd be willing to kill me to get their hands on that ball, they'd surely have done enough digging to find out I have no part in it's creation!"

"You bring up valid points, Red," Joe said tilting his head downward, "There's far too much on this topic we have no way of knowing. I was just assuming the most reasonably likely possibilities. But since I know nothing, and it's my job to protect you, I'm going to take you back home."

Red stood up and began yelling, "What the hell Joe!? You think I'm gonna stand here and let you stomp all over my dreams!?"

"I'm not gonna let your mother down just so you can quench some dumb thirst for adventure!" Joe yelled, "Are you really wanting to risk your life to walk around a little!?"

"You couldn't care less about my life! You just think of this as a random job! You're just too scared to continue it normally!"

"If you go back home, you'll be in a safe, populated area! They aren't going to attack you there! They will if you're roaming around unsafe places like Viridian Forest!"

The entire restaurant had grown silent. Everyone had become attentive to the loud bickering between the two.

"I refuse!" Red said defiantly. Joe grunted and grabbed Red by the collar. Red began struggling as Joe dragged him out of the restaurant with Leaf following behind.

"Let him go, Joe!" Leaf yelled.

Joe threw him on the ground outside and pointed to a large, prestigious building. Red began rubbing the back of his neck where his shirt had been squeezing against.

"You see that building over there?" Joe asked, "That's the Pewter City Gym. The leader there is Brock Stone, a two-time Pokemon League champion. To be a gym leader, you have to be strong enough to win the Pokemon League at least once. Brock is a very strong trainer."

"So?" Red asked, still on the ground.

"If you can defeat Brock, I'll acknowledge your words. I'll consider you strong enough to continue this journey. If you lose, your ass is going back home."

Red looked towards the gym and smiled, "Alright then," he said standing up and straightening his cap, "I'll make sure to impress you both. Believe me, there's still a lot more of this world we're gonna see."


	9. Chapter 9 Brock Stone The Master of Rock

**Pewter City – Brock Stone: The Master of Rock**

Red slammed through the door, entering the Pewter City Gym.

"Alright Brock!" he yelled, "You better be ready for the fight of your life! 'Cause I'm here to win!"

"Who are you?" A woman asked from behind a counter.

Red quieted down and looked toward the woman, "Um, uh, I'm Red Valant. I'm here to challenge Brock."

"Well," the woman said as she pulled out a piece of paper, "Do you have an appointment?"

"Appointment?" Red asked.

"You can't battle Brock, or any gym leader for that matter, without the proper registration. How do you expect them to have their Pokemon ready for battle or even what to use?"

"Oh yeah!" Joe said, "I forgot about that part!"

"Dammit, Joe!" Red yelled.

"It's alright," the woman said, "Nobody today has signed up, so Brock should be ready to battle whoever comes first."

She motioned for Red to come forward and Red went accordingly. She placed a pen in his hand and pushed a blank sign-up sheet closer to him, "I need you to place your name, age, and the amount of badges you have here," she pointed to three blank line segments horizontal to each other.

"I guess I get the name and age part," Red said, "But why exactly does my badge count need to be given?"

"Because it determines which team you'll be facing," the woman said, "If you have no badges, you'll get a weak party more appropriate for beginners. But if you have eight or more, you'll get the strongest team a gym leader can put together."

"Oh, so that way trainers from other areas are able to have the same type of path to the Pokemon League as everyone else!" Leaf piped in.

"It's only logical," Joe said smiling.

"Alright!" Red said excitedly, filling in the information, "Now it's time to win that badge!"

The woman took the sheet, "Okay, now I just have to enter you into the system, and then you'll wait about three hours for Brock to be ready."

"Three hours!?" The group all yelled at the same time.

"Oh no!" the woman yelled, "I just realized we have to close the gym down for the night in about an hour! I wasn't supposed to take any applications, silly me!"

"Wait, what does that mean!?" Red asked.

"Don't worry," the woman said, "You'll be able to have your battle first thing in the morning!" 

Red sulked, "I can't wait that long. I'm too fired up."

Just then, a set of double doors slammed open revealing a tanned, spiky-haired man without a shirt. The man squinted at the woman and began speaking, "No! You can't let me go an entire day without a battle! We'll do this now!"

"Brock, it's against the regulations to accept a challenge without the proper registration time."

"Then we cheat the system!" the man yelled, walking up to Red, "We'll simply allow registration go as planned, then just pretend we had the battle tomorrow morning. No harm, no foul!" he held his hand out to Red, "I'm Brock Stone, Pewter City Gym Leader." 

Red took his hand and smiled, "Red Valant!"

"Oh a Valant, huh?" Brock said, "Well I won't hold back against royalty!"

"Haha, yeah," Red said, releasing his grip from Brock's hand.

"Well, let's get this show on the road!" Brock said, guiding them through the doors he had busted through. The three entered a large completely made of stone. From the ground to the stands to even the ceiling, all was manufactured with pure stone, "Generally we have an audience," Brock said, "However, due to how sudden this match is, there won't be any spectators," he shrugged, "Probably for the best. You don't want your first big battle to be too stressful and overbearing." 

"I think I'll manage," Red said, gripping one of the Poke Balls by his side.

"No need to continue mincing words!" Brock yelled, "JERRY!"

A small kid in scout clothes ran towards the arena and began speaking, "Hello everyone and welcome to Pewter City Gym! Home of Brock Stone: The Master of Rock!" 

"You don't have to go through all the formalities here. Just give my opponent the basics," Brock said.

"Er, right!" Jerry said, "The challenger, Red Valant, will only have access to two Pokemon during the battle. Does he have his Pokemon ready?"

"Yes I do!" Red yelled.

"Okay," Jerry said, "Let the battle begin!"

Brock threw out a Poke Ball, Emerging from it was Geodude, a Rock/Ground type Pokemon. It began flexing it's rocky arms in anticipation.

"Ha!" Red yelled, "I'll only need one Pokemon to win this! Go Pikachu!" he sent out Pikachu who began charging it's electricity through it's cheeks.

"Pikachu?" Leaf asked, "Why?"

"Hm," Joe began thinking, "Does he not even have the most basic type advantages and disadvantages down?"

"Okay Pikachu, use Thundershock!" Pikachu shot a spark of lightning directly at Geodude, but Geodude soaked in the electricity and merely began to laugh, "What the hell!?"

"Haha!" Brock yelled, "You act so confident, yet don't even know electric attacks have no ay of harming a ground-type Pokemon!"

"Seriously!?" Red exclaimed, "Alright, I can get past that! Use Scratch!"

Pikachu sped towards Geodude and began ferociously barraging Geodude with it's claws. But rather giving a pained expression, Geodude gave an annoyed one and pushed Pikachu back.

"This is embarrassing!" Brock yelled, "Use Rock Throw, Geodude!" Geodude slammed it's fists on the floor and pulled out a chunk of stone. It heaved both arms back and threw the rock at Pikachu.

"Pikachu, no!" Red yelled, but the throw was simply too fast for Pikachu to judge. It hit Pikachu directly in the face, knocking it back quite a ways, "Damn," Red said to himself. He began thinking. None of Pikachu's attacks seemed to have any effect. The only Pokemon he had left was Squirtle, and Brock still had another unknown Pokemon he'd have to deal with. He held out his Poke Ball, "Return!" 

Pikachu was sent back into it's Poke Ball and onto Red's waist. He pulled out his other Poke Ball.

"Oh, did you're plan to only use one Pokemon fail?" Brock asked.

"A minor hindrance!" Red yelled, tossing out his next Pokemon, "Go Squirtle!" Squirtle popped out, ready to engage in battle.

"Squirtle, eh?" Brock questioned, "This just got interesting."

"Alright Squirtle, use Water Gun!" Squirtle shot a stream of water from it's mouth straight at Geodude.

"Defense Curl!" Brock yelled. Geodude used it's arms to shield it's face from the blow. It was knocked to the ground, able to sustain the damage, but still hurt from the attack, "Use Rock Throw again!" Geodude picked itself up and made it's way to the previous pit it'd made. It picked up another chunk of stone and threw it at Squirtle.

"Withdraw, Squirtle!" Squirtle retreated into it's protective shell, where the rock hit, but had little effect, "Hit it with another Water Gun!" Squirtle popped out and shot another jet of water at Geodude. This time though, the attack wasn't blocked in time, landing a critical hit on Geodude.

"Dammit!" Brock yelled. Geodude had collapsed on the ground.

"Geodude is unable to battle!" Jerry yelled, "Brock now only has one Pokemon left!"

"Tch," Brock grunted, "That was nothing, go Onix!" he yelled, throwing out his second Pokemon. Out came a large, rock snake. It roared in anger at the miniscule Squirtle. But Squirtle kept a brave face on.

"That's the way Squirtle, use Water Gun again!" Squirtle blasted yet another jet of water toward Onix.

"Harden!" Brock yelled. Onix's exterior began shining as if it were suddenly polished. The water made contact and merely slid right off, "Now use Tackle!" Onix glided through the broken floor and dove headfirst at Squirtle.

"Out of the way!" Red yelled. Squirtle narrowly dodged the fatal blow and ran away to regain it's composure, "Alright, now use Bubble!" Squirtle shot a barrage of bubbles toward Onix.

"Bide!" Brock yelled. Onix flashed for a moment, but it seemingly had no effect as the bubbles slammed against it's protective armor.

"Alright, follow up with a Water Gun!" Red yelled. Squirtle shot another stream of water at Onix. Onix was taken aback, looking very weak, "Looks like it's over Brock!"

"Oh, it's over alright!" Brock screamed, "Release the energy, Onix!" Onix opened it's mouth and shot a beam of light at Squirtle.

"No!" Red yelled as the light crashed into Squirtle. This powerful beam took out Squirtle in just one hit.

"Squirtle is unable to battle!" Jerry yelled, "Each contender only has one Pokemon left!"

Red returned Squirtle to his Poke Ball and sunk to his knees, "No way, how is that possible?"

"Bide allowed Onix to store all the damage taken from Squirtle's attacks and use them for itself," Joe said, "Sorry Red, but it looks like this match is over."

"No!" Red said, "I still have Pikachu!"

"Pikachu won't work!" Joe yelled. But Red refused to listen.

"Go Pikachu!" he yelled, throwing the Poke Ball out.

"I'd just forfeit if I were you, Red!" Brock yelled, "It was a hard-fought battle and I'd gladly accept a rematch. Best let your Pikachu stay unharmed while you can!"

"Hell no!" Red yelled, "If I don't win here, I have to go back home! I won't be able to travel the world and prove myself! I'll never be able to change my boring lifestyle! I have to win!"

"Hm?" Brock questioned, "Why is this gym battle so important to all that?"

"Because I promised Joe that if I was strong enough for this battle, I was strong enough for the battles down the road too," Red said, clenching his fists, "But if I lose, I won't make it far."

"Interesting," Brock mumbled. He looked at Onix, then at Jerry, then at Onix. Finally he grabbed a Poke Ball from his side, "Onix, I don't think you look well enough for battle. Return!" Onix was sent back into his Poke Ball.

"The hell?" Joe said.

"I'm a gym leader," Brock said, "My job is to help trainer's follow their dreams, not crush them."

"So you're just letting him have a badge that he doesn't deserve!?" Joe yelled.

"Doesn't deserve?" Brock said, "He showed more skill than a lot of people I've battled. I think if I can send them out into the world, he'll be just fine," He walked up to red and pulled a small item from his pocket, "Here, it's the Boulder Badge. It's a sign you've proven yourself to me. Win or lose, I know you'll go far. I won't allow a trainer with as much potential as you to lose this long-term battle."

Red looked at the badge and began contemplating his decision. While contemplating he looked upwards and smiled. He decided to go with what his gut told him to, "No."

"Huh?" Brock asked.

"Pikachu and Onix both have enough strength to battle," Red said, "I'll win this badge the real way!"

Brock began laughing and stuck the badge back into his pocket, "You're a one of a kind kid, Red. I like it!"

Brock returned to his side of the arena and sent Onix back out, who was still pretty weak from the battle with Squirtle, "Alright use Bind!"

"Let him constrict you, Pikachu!" Red yelled. Pikachu looked back confused, "Don't worry, I have a plan!"

Onix wrapped itself around Pikachu's small body and began squeezing.

"Red, what the hell!" Leaf yelled.

"Now Pikachu! Use Thundershock on the ceiling!" Red yelled.

"The ceiling?" Joe said looking up, "He couldn't have thought to..." 

"Wait!" Brock yelled, "No!"

Pikachu sent a bolt of electricity towards the ceiling. The shock had made contact with a few small knobs in the ceiling. Once hit, they released a large amount of water covering the arena in a layer of water. Onix began to roar in pain from the constant rush of water.

"I lost," Brock said to himself, "All because I have a pointless sprinkler system in an all stone building! Well played, Red. Return Onix!"

Brock made sure Onix wouldn't suffer anymore. Jerry began announcing, "Onix is unable to battle. Red is the winner!"

"I did it!" Red yelled, "All by myself!"

Brock walked up to Red drenched, "This time you truly have earned it," he pulled the Boulder Badge from his pocket and gave it to Red.

"Yes!" Red yelled, "See Joe!? I can fend for myself!"

"Hmph!" Joe grunted, "Looks like I'm gonna have to get used to walking!"

The three left the gym in high spirits, ready to set off to the next place, Cerulean City. But due to the time they were forced to retire to an inn.

Joe and Red shared a room together. As they were getting ready to go to sleep, Joe began speaking, "I'm sorry for doubting you, kid."

"It's alright!" Red said, flopping onto his bed, "After all, I'm all right!" he said chuckling.

"Just know that I won't take this easy on you," Joe said, "I personally am still against taking you."

"Lighten up!" Red said, "Tomorrow we'll go through Mt. Moon! It's gonna be so cool!"

"Alright kid," Joe said, "Stop being all giddy and get some sleep. We're heading out early."

The two went to sleep quickly. It had been a long and eventful day. Red had more or less gotten over the events in Viridian Forest, but Joe knew that danger still lurked at every corner.


End file.
